I've Made Friends

Meet Gomray....

A couple months ago - we've been here too long, I met Gomray when he drove by the Taj and I needed to go to the store.  Jason had said in the beginning that we needed to find a tuk-tuk driver that was nice and spoke good English so that we could call him to drive us around.  Gomray is going to school to learn English so he can get a better job.  He only has one more year left and loves to ask me random questions just to practice our language.  The first thing he always asks is if I've eaten breakfast or lunch yet.  When he first took me to the store he was asking if we'd been to see certain things around the town.  I said no, but that we would one day.  He insisted on giving me his number and said that he would drive us wherever.  I finally called him back a couple weeks ago to take me to this foreign goods store that other drivers could never find.  Anyway...  he now knows where it's at and he's always willing to take us wherever we want to go. 

He even insisted I stop at the International Book Festival last friday - he knows I love to read because he asked me about a book I was carrying with me one day.  I've only called him a few times because I don't want to bother him if he isn't close to the hotel, but he insists that we call him whenever so he can practice his English.  I decided I had to share this story and take his picture.  They get the biggest kick out of foreigners taking their picture.  He's always pointing out parts of the city that I should go see and patiently waits for me in the stores.  He's like my own chauffeur! 



And Meet Francis.... 

Tough looking security, I know!

He got really upset when I took the picture of Gomray because I hadn't taken one of him yet.  He was actually very offended!  "You took picture of rickshaw driver but not me?"  Francis is such a character!  He's always got this big smile and wide eyes when he sees us and raises his hand just slightly (makes us wonder if he's waving or waiting for a high five).  The front security is always friendly but very random.  Sometimes they make us put everything through the metal detector but not always.  It can be overwhelming saying hello and good afternoon to every one of the guys (or gal... there's one female that holds the door) numerous times a day.  I'm sure they'd have my back if something went wrong.  They are security.

These cute kids above were having a fundraiser at the hotel.  Jason and I had been by the pool last weekend and I left to go to a book fair (again...to get Jason some book.) and the girls bombarded him about buying things for his "girlfriend".  As soon as I got back, he sent me over to check it out.  This group was selling sweets.  Just we need, right?  wrong   But who could say no when they money was going to charity?  I gave in and bought some cookies and a brownie.  They kept trying to get me to buy more and other girls came over and tried to lure me over to their table.  It worked, but they were so persistent, I just couldn't stand it.  Seriously, they were worse than the Indian men grabbing my arm saying "hello mam, good price for you, I make you deal, hello mam, look here, hello mam".  <--- They do really say that, by the way.

(I have more than two friends, I just haven't taken their picture yet!  More to come later...)

I don't have much to update on now that I am helping out at the school 3 days a week.  This weekend is a Cochin Motor Show that we are planning on going to, if we can get in.  We tried to go to the Naval Show a few weekends ago and got turned away because foreigners weren't allowed.  Really??  I guess they thought I might steal all of their ideas and take then to the US Navy.  I'm sure the US Navy already has them beat anyway..